US Rescues One F-15E Crew Member From Deep Inside Iran; Second Crew Member Still Missing

US Special Operations forces rescued one crew member of the F-15E Strike Eagle shot down over Iran on April 3 during Operation Epic Fury. The rescue was described as being conducted 'deep in enemy territory.' The operation involved 21 aircraft in the first rescue wave; two Black Hawk helicopters were damaged during the extraction. The second crew member — described in reports as a colonel serving as the Weapon Systems Officer — remained missing as of April 4. The downed F-15E was the first confirmed US aircraft loss of the Iran war, occurring on Day 35 of operations. The rescue operation underlined the risks of sustained strike operations into Iranian airspace. US Central Command did not confirm or deny the details publicly, but multiple outlets — NBC News, the Washington Post, and Military.com — reported the rescue citing US officials. The missing crew member would be recovered by April 5.